Are electronic signatures legal in Chile?
Yes, and Chile goes further than most countries. Its 2002 law says an electronic signature of any kind is to be treated as a handwritten one for all legal purposes, with three narrow exceptions. The stronger advanced signature matters for public instruments and for how much a document proves on its own.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
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Chile: at a glance
Country · CL- E-signature law
- Ley 19.799 on electronic documents, electronic signatures and certification services
- In effect since
- 2002
- Doesn't cover
- Acts requiring a formality an electronic document can't satisfy (art. 3(a))
- Acts requiring a party to appear in person (art. 3(b))
- Acts relating to family law (art. 3(c))
- Public instruments need a firma electrónica avanzada (art. 4)
What Ley 19.799 says
Ley 19.799 on electronic documents, electronic signatures and certification services was published in the Diario Oficial on April 12, 2002. Article 3 says acts and contracts signed electronically are valid in the same way, and have the same effects, as ones made in writing on paper, and that they count as written where a law requires writing.
La firma electrónica, cualquiera sea su naturaleza, se mirará como firma manuscrita para todos los efectos legales.
Simple and advanced signatures
- Firma electrónica (art. 2(f)): any sound, symbol or electronic process that lets the receiver formally identify the author.
- Firma electrónica avanzada (art. 2(g)): certified by an accredited provider, created with means under the holder's exclusive control, linked only to the holder and the document so that any later change shows. Getting the certificate requires appearing in person before the provider, a notary or a civil registry officer (art. 12(e)).
The difference shows up in court. Public instruments must carry an advanced signature (art. 4) and make full proof. A private document with an advanced signature has the same probative value, though it doesn't prove its own date unless an accredited provider time-stamped it (art. 5). A document with a simple signature has whatever weight the general rules of evidence give it, so the record behind it decides.
The three exceptions
Article 3 doesn't apply to these acts, which still need paper or a personal appearance:
- Acts for which the law requires a formality that an electronic document can't satisfy.
- Acts for which the law requires a party to appear in person.
- Acts relating to family law.
The register of accredited advanced-signature providers is kept by the Entidad Acreditadora, which sits in the Undersecretariat of Economy and also inspects those providers (arts. 17–20). The law has been amended since 2002, for example by Ley 20.217 in 2007, which added the electronic date stamp, and by Ley 21.658 in 2024.
Where SignMaster fits in Chile
SignMaster provides simple electronic signatures with an audit trail. It isn't an accredited provider, so it can't produce a firma electrónica avanzada or a public instrument. Article 3 still treats its signatures as handwritten for everyday contracts: service agreements, quotes, leases, purchase orders and NDAs. Each completed PDF ends with a certificate of completion that records when each signer viewed, consented and signed, and from which IP address, which also helps with the date question article 5 raises.
Questions? Answers.
Is a simple electronic signature valid in Chile?
Yes. Article 3 of Ley 19.799 treats an electronic signature of any kind as a handwritten one, outside the three exceptions. What a simple signature lacks is the advanced signature's built-in probative value, so keep the evidence of who signed and when.
When do I need a firma electrónica avanzada in Chile?
For public instruments (art. 4), and whenever you want a private document to carry full probative value on its own (art. 5). It comes from a provider accredited by the Entidad Acreditadora.
Can family law agreements be signed electronically in Chile?
Not under Ley 19.799. Acts relating to family law are one of the three exceptions in article 3, so follow the formalities family law sets for them.
Sources
General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on your situation. For advice about a specific document, talk to a lawyer licensed where you are.